Akira Nagamine (on the right), head of Nagamine Automobile Maintenance Factory, and his staff, stand beside the vehicle converted from gasoline to electric power at their factory in Onna-son, Okinawa

April 13, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
Nagamine Automobile Maintenance Factory, headed by Akira Nagamine, succeeded in converting a gasoline-driven vehicle to one powered by electricity, which was then registered and given a number plate.
This is the first time in Okinawa that an automobile maintenance factory has registered an electric-powered vehicle that has been converted from a gasoline-driven car. They removed the engine and fuel tank from a lightweight truck and replaced these with a lead battery and a motor. The cost of the conversion was about one million yen.

Boasting a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the vehicle can cover about 40 kilometers on a single charge. The running cost is about one to two yen per kilometer, which is about one-tenth the cost of running a gasoline-driven vehicle. The feel of the ride is similar to that of a golf cart.

Nagamine Automobile Maintenance Factory launched the electric vehicle conversion service as a new business venture in the context of the automobile industry tightening as sales slow down due to the reduction of the number of items required in a vehicle safety inspection.
Nagamine Factory staff succeeded with the electric vehicle conversion in January after undergoing training with companies in other prefectures. The vehicle received its number plate on March 28.
The Nagamine Automobile Maintenance Factory intends to carry out further research to enable them to run the conversion service as a viable business. Nagamine said, “Electric vehicles will become widely used in Okinawa because we have the advantage of being an isolated island with relatively short distances to travel. … If the cost of lithium-ion batteries decreases, we will be able to develop this business plan further.”
Photo: Akira Nagamine (on the right), head of Nagamine Automobile Maintenance Factory, and his staff, stand beside the vehicle converted from gasoline to electric power at their factory in Onna-son, Okinawa